06551 - Neurophysiology

Learning outcomes

The couse is aimed to provide: a) the neurophysiological bases of the cerebral functions; b) the general principles of neurobiology; c) the organization of sensory and motor systems; d) analysis of the control systems of visceral functions and of homeostasis.

Course contents

Objectives

The aim of the course is to provide the neurophysiological bases of cerebral functions, in particular referring to nervous substrate and to functional mechanisms.

Our behaviors are variations of neural activity which can be evaluated as biochemical, molecular and neurotrasmitter changes. This is valid for simple behaviors (e.g. motor activity) and for superior cognitive functions that we consider peculiar to human beings. To better understand the neural bases of cerebral functions, first of all general notions of neurobiology will be described, including membrane cell physiology and synaptic interaction. Then the organization of sensory and motor systems will be illustrated, and finally we will study systems controlling visceral functions, homeostasis, wake-sleep cycle and emotions.

Course Contents

Introduction to Neuroscience

The neural membrane at rest:

- Ion bases of potential of the membrane at rest

The action potential:

- The properties of the action potential

- The transmission of the action potential

Synaptic transmission:

- The types of synapse

- The principles of synaptic transmission

Chemical bases of the behavior:

- Neurotransmitters

Anatomy of the Nervous System:

- Neurons and genetics

- Glia

- Cerebral cortex

- Subcortical structures

- Spinal cord

- Peripheral nervous system

The Visual System:

- Light properties and eye structure

- Generation of the imagine trought the eye

- Signal trasduction

- Retinal projections

- The Lateral geniculate nucleus

- The anatomy and physiology of the striate cortex

- The extra-striate cortices

The auditory system:

- The sound and the structure of the auditory system

- The internal ear

- The central auditory processes

- The encoding of the intensity and frequency of the sound

- The sound localization mechanisms

- The auditory cortex

Balance and the vestibular system

The sense of smell and taste

The somatosensory system:

- The proprioceptive and tactile sensitivity

- The thermal and pain sensitivity

The control of movement:

- The muscles: the excitation-contraction coupling mechanism

- Movement control at spinal cord level

- The onset of movement in the primary motor cortex

- The movement planning in the frontal cortex

The autonomic nervous system

The hormonal control of behavior:

- Endocrine system and hormones

- Hypothalamus and pituitary gland

- Gonads

- Reproductive behavior

- Male and female brains

Homeostasis:

- Nutrition regulation

- Regulation of body fluids

Biological rithms and sleep:

- wake-sleep cycle

Memory and learning:

- Types of memory and learning

- Neural mechanisms of memory

Emotions:

- Neural circuits of emotions

- Responses to stress

The course will be done during the second semester (from February to May 2019). The lecture will be done in Piazza Aldo Moro, 90 (Cesena, FC).

Readings/Bibliography

Fondamenti anatomofisiologici della attivita’ psichica - A cura di Angelo Maravita, Poletto Editore

Alternatively:

- Il cervello e la mente - Watson NV, Breedlove SM, Zanichelli, 1 Ed, 2014

- Purves, Augustine et al. - Neuroscienze - Zanichelli, 4 Ed, 2013

- M.F. Bear, B.W. Connors e M.A. Paradiso - Neuroscienze: Esplorando il Cervello - Masson - Terza Ed., 2007

- Kandel ER, Schwartz JH, Jessell TM et al. - Principi di Neuroscienze - Casa Editrice Ambrosiana, Quarta Ed. 2015

Teaching methods

The course is based on lectures. However, students are expected to take an active role in discussion.

Assessment methods

N.B. From the first summer session 2019, all the students included those that attended the course in the previous years must prepare the exam on the current program (2018-2019). 

The exam aims to verify the acquisition of the theoretical knowledge of topics presented during the lectures.

The exam is perfomed as written test and it contains 5 open questions to complete in 1 hour. During the exam, it is not allowed support material as books, notes and informatic tools.

Each question is structured in sub-questions. For each question, if you answer all the sub-questions correctly and with appropriate language you will get a maximum score of 6 (6.25 in case of excellent answer). The final mark will be the sum of the scores of the 5 questions of the test.

No support tools (calculator or vocabulary) are needed to execute the exam.

2 tests will take place at the half and at the end of the course accessible to students attending the first year. Sufficient scores are required in both tests to successfully pass the exam.

It is necessary the registration throught AlmaEsami until 2 working days before the day of the exam.

We will evaluate the capacity of the student to move within all the studied topics. The reaching of a global vision of the topics, the critical approach, the capacity to join different topics, the use of specific and appropriate language will be evaluated with excellent judgements.

Teaching tools

Slides (Powerpoint). The figures are extracted from suggested books.

Office hours

See the website of Annalisa Bosco

See the website of Stefano Bastianini